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2 t 8 G h S s t 9 B h s 2 INTERLOGKING SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM. No. 243,841. 1881.

Patented July 5 INVENTOR a M ATTORNEYS Q35 2 I I \xWN WITNESSES u. miss mwmw n w. wmsnmm n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BONNELL, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO HIMSELF AND SAMUEL MGILROY, OF SAME PLACE.

INTERLOCKING SWITCH AND S IGNAL MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,841, dated July 5, 1881.

- Application filed March 5,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AWIES A. BoNNELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Interlocking Switches and Signals, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new andimproved interlocking switch in which the switch-operating'levers interlock each other, so that the switch-rails cannot be moved until the signal has been given and the entire train has left the switch.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aplan view of myimprovedinterlocking switch. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the same on the line y 3 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal elevation of my improved detecting-bar, showing the recessed rail in section. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation of my improved locking-bar on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the joint of the hand-lever.

' Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A bar or rod, A, is supported by the standards B B, and this rod is provided with a series of hubs or journal-bearings, a a, for the pivots b b at the lower ends of the main-line signal hand-lever D, the switch hand-lever E, and the locking hand-lever F, which thus have their fulcrums on this bar A. w A bar, a, is also supported on the standards B B, and is provided with a series of hubs or journal-bearings, c, for the pivots c of the bell-crank levers d, e, and f, corresponding to the hand-levers D, E, and F, with which they are connected by the connecting-rods 0?, a and f The hand-levers D, E, and F pass through guide-slots d, e, and f and between two segmental guide-bars, d 0 and f respectively,

for each hand-lever, which guide-bars are supported by suitable standards, 9 g, and are provided with a notch, h, at the upper end and a notch,j, at the lower end. Each hand-lever is provided with a lever, k, pivoted therein above the guide-bars, and to one end of this lever k a bar, I, fitting into the notches h and j and pressed downward by a spring, l, is pivoted, whereas a rod, 'm, terminating in a knob, m, projecting from the upper end of the handlever, is pivoted to the other end of the lever k. If the hand-lever is seized, the knob m can be depressed at the same time by placlng the hand on the knob m, and the rod lis raised,

its lower end being drawn out of the notch h orj, and when the hand-lever has been drawn to the opposite end of the segmental guidebar the end of the rod 1 is forced into the corresponding notch h by the spring Z, thus lockin g the hand-lever on the segmental guide-bar.

The upper surface of the outer ends of the connecting-bars d 6 and f 2 and the bell-crank levers d, e, and f are provided with teeth a, these ends passing through stirrups 0 0 at the opposite ends of the bell-crank levers, and at the upper ends of the transmission-leversD, E, and F, respectively.

Each stirrup 0 is provided with a bindingscrew, 0, by means of which it can be fastened to the bell-crank levers or connectingrods a greater or less distance from the ends of the same, according to the leverage required.

A V-shaped lever, Gr, acted upon by a spring, 20, is pivoted between the guide-slots d and e, to swing in the horizontal plane, and the outer end of this lever rests against the handlever D when the main line is open, and is provided with a pin, G, projecting toward the hand-lever E, and the outer end of this pin passes into the aperture 12 of the lever E. The

inner end of this lever Gr crosses the inner endof the guide-slot d diagonally.

A lever, H, acted upon by a spr1ng,w ,1s pivoted between the guide-slots d and e, and

is provided at its outer end with a pin, H,

is provided at its outer end with a pin, I,pro-

Each hand-lever is provided with one or more apertures or recesses, p, to receive the end of one of the pins G, H, or 1. Each hand-lever is also provided with a row of apertures, q q, to receive a pin, 1', also passing through one of a row of apertures, s, in the inner end of the corresponding connecting-rod d 6, or f thus permitting the leverage to be adjusted in addition to the adjustments by means of the screws 0 and ratchets a.

The lever D is connected by a bell-crank and connecting-rod to a crank,j, of a rod, J, provided at the opposite end with a crank, j pivoted to the transmission-rod J, pivoted to the lower ends of the levers K K, pivoted to the bottom of a longitudinally-recessed rail, L, at-

tached to the outside of the main rail M, and

extending for a distance of about twenty to thirty feet from the switch.

A bar, N, is contained within the recess of the rail L, and rests upon the cams K K of the levers K K. The detecting-bar N is provided with curved lugs t at each side of the cams K. When the bar N rests upon the bottom of the recess in the rail L its upper edge is flush with the top of the main rail M. The bar N is provided with a vertical slot, N, through which a pin, N passes to guide the bar N up and down.

The outer end of the transmission-rod J is pivoted to a crank, O, of a shaft, 0, on which a beveled-gear segment, 0 is rigidly mounted.

This beveled-gear segment engages with a beveled-gear wheel, 1?, mounted on the vertical signal-rod P, on the upper end of which the signal Q is mounted. The signal-rods P are contained within tubular standards P which are forked at their lower ends to form bases P The lower end of the transmitting-rod E is pivoted to a crank, a, of a bar, if, provided at the other end with a crank, 'n pivoted to a connecting-rod, n, which is pivoted to a bellcrank lever, n pivoted tothe switch-bar R, to which the tongues or switch-rails S S are secured. The opposite end of switch-bar R is pivoted to a crank, O, of a signal, Q constructed in the same manner as described above.

The transmittingrod F is pivoted to a crank, r, of a rod, 1, provided with a crank, r pivoted to a transmittin g-rod, U, pivoted to a crank, 8 of bar or rod T, below the switchbar It and parallel with the same, which bar T is provided with two spiral collars, a a inclined toward the middle of the rod.

The switch-bar R is provided on the under side, near each rail, with lugs 15 1 between or against which the spiral collars u a fit. The lugs t t are so arranged in relation to the collars a a that when the collars on one end of the rod or bar T rest against the lugs the collars at the other ends will be to one side of the lugs, as shown in Fig. 2.

An arm, '0, at the end of the transmitting rod U is pivoted to crank O of a signal, Q constructed in the manner described above.

The transmitting-rods are preferably made of gas-pipe. This interlocking and operating device can also be used with spring-switches, or switches with abutting rails.

The operation is as follows: In Fig. 1 the switch is represented closed for the siding. If the operator desires to open the switch for the siding, he seizes the lever D, at the same time pressing upon the knob m, thereby unlocking it from the guide-frame 01 and draws it in the direction of the arrow or until it strikes the inner end of the lever G, which crosses the inner end of the guide-seat d, thereby moving this inner end of the lever G in the direction of the arrow y and the outer end in the direction of the arrow 2, and thereby drawing the pin G out of the aperture 1) of the hand-lever E, thus releasing the latter. By this movement of the hand-lever D the transmission-rod Jis moved in the direction of the arrow o, whereby the signal Qof the main line is brought to danger, indicating that the switch is open. It, however, a train rests on the main rails at or near the switch, the tireVot' the wheel W will prevent the detecting-bar N from being raised, and consequently the lever D cannot be drawn, thus informing the operator that a train is on the main rails at the switch; but if there is no train on the detecting-bar it can be raised by the cams K, and is drawn down again by the cams K, which strike the projection topposite them, against which the cam rested before the lever D was drawn and after the complete throw. This detecting-bar enables the oper ator to immediately detect if a train is on or near the switch in one direction, and is of great advantage in foggy weather or at night. If the operator holds the lever D, he can detect when the train leaves the detecting-bar, for then the vibrations will cease. The operator then draws the hand-lever F back in a direction the reverse of the arrow 00, thereby rais ing the transmittingbar F and rotating the locking-bar T half-way round and drawing the spiral collars a clear from the lugs t, and thus unlocking the switch-bar B. At the same time the signal Q is turned, showing that the switchbar is unlocked. The hand-lever E, which operates the switch-rails, is then drawn in the direction of the arrow 00 until it strikes the lever H, passing across the inner end of the guide slot 0, and moves the end of this lever H in the direction of the arrow 2, causing the pin 11 to pass into the aperture 19 in the handlever D, thus lockin g the signal Q, which indicates that the switch has been thrown in position. By this movement the transmitting-rod E is raised, and by means of the described intermediate cranks and rods the switch-bar is moved in the direction of the arrow to, thereby open ing the switch, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and turning the signal Q to indicate that the switch is open. The hand-lever F is then drawn in the direction of the arrow :0, thereby forcing the end of the lever I which crosses the inner end of the guide-slot f in the direction of the arrow 2, causing the pin 1 to enter the aperture 1) of the hand-lever E, thereby locking the latter, and at the same time rotating the signal Q indicating that the switchbar is locked. The switch is thus locked, and so are the signal hand-lever D and the switch hand-lever E. V

The operator cannot move the switch before unlocking the switch-lock bar T, and cannot turn the signal Q to indicate that the main line is clear until he has really closed the switch, for the switch hand-lever E locks the signal-lever D by means of pin I until the locking-bar hand-lever'Eis moved in the reverse direction of 00, upon which the spring 20 forces the pin I out of the aperture 19 of the switch hand-lever E. When this handlever E is moved in the reverse direction of the arrow 00 the signal Q is turned, indicating that the switch-baris unlocked, the spring 10 forces the pin H out'of the aperture 1 in the signal hand-lever D, and at the same time the switch-bar It is moved in a direction the reverse of the arrow w, and the signal Q is turned. The lever D can then be-moved in the reverse direction of the arrow 00', by which the pin G will pass'into the aperturep of the switch hand-lever E, thus locking the latter, while at the same time the signal Q is turned, indicating that the main lineis clear. In this latter operation the detecting-bar operates the same as described above, only the cams K swing in the opposite direction. The locking hand-lever F is then drawn in the direction of the arrow 00, thereby locking the switch handlever E by means of the pin 1, and also locking the switch-bar R by means of the spiral 1tollars u u and the lugs t t of the switch- I am aware that switch signaling apparatus has been heretofore constructed in which the switch could not be opened until the dangersignal was first set, and after the switch was opened the signal could not be reversed until after the switch had been closed. This I do not broadly claim; but

What I doclaim is- 1. A device for interlocking switches and signals, made substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of a series of hand-levers, in combination with a series of levers crossing the guides of the hand-levers, provided with pins for locking these hand-levers, as set forth.

2. In a device for interlocking switches and signals, the combination, with the hand-levers D, E, and F, of the levers, Gr, H, and I and the pins G, H, and I, attached to the ends of these levers, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina switch-operating device, the combination, with the notched guide-bar d and the hand-lever D, of the lever is, the rod m, provided with a button, m, projecting from the upper end of the lever D, the rod Z, and the spring l, substantially as herein shown and described, and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a switch, the combination, with a longitudinally-recesscd rail, L, attached to the outside of the main rail M, of adetecting-bar, N, contained within the recess of this rail M, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the rail M, of the rail L, detecting-bar N, contained in said rail, the cam K, the lever K, and the transmission-rod J, substantially as described, whereby the proximity of atrain prevents the working of the switch, as set forth.

6. In a switch, the combination, with the detecting-bar N, of thetransmission-rod J, the signal Q, the hand-lever D, the lever G and the pin G, the hand-lever E, the lever Hand the pin H, and transmission-rods and levers for transmitting the motion of the hand-lever D to the detecting-bar N, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a switch, the combination, with the switch-locking bar T, provided with spiral or inclined collars a 10 of the switch-bar R, provided with lugs t t of the signal Q the hand-levers E and F, the levers G, H, and I, the pins I, and transmission-rods and levers for transmitting the motio of the hand-lever F to the switch locking-bar T, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a switch, the combination, with the switch-bar R, of the hand-levers D, E, andF, the levers G, H, and I, the pins G, H, and I, the signal Q and transmission-rods and levers for transmitting the motion of the handlever E to the switch-bar R, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES A. BONNELL. Witnesses:

OSCAR I GUNZ, O. SEDGWICK. 

